Showing papers in "Cataloging & Classification Quarterly in 2015"
TL;DR: The decolonizing methodology of imagining provides one way that knowledge organization practitioners and theorists can acknowledge and discern the possibilities of Indigenous community-based approaches to the development of alternative information structures as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: For at least half a century, catalogers have struggled with how to catalog and classify Native American and Indigenous peoples materials in library, archive, and museum collections. Understanding how colonialism works can help those in the field of knowledge organization appreciate the power dynamics embedded in the marginalization of Native American and Indigenous peoples materials through standardization, misnaming, and other practices. The decolonizing methodology of imagining provides one way that knowledge organization practitioners and theorists can acknowledge and discern the possibilities of Indigenous community-based approaches to the development of alternative information structures.
102 citations
TL;DR: The Mashantucket Pequot Thesaurus of American Indian Terminology was designed to incorporate an Indigenous perspective into mainstream controlled vocabularies and is applied to a museum setting.
Abstract: Native Americans create, preserve, and organize knowledge within the context of community, thereby ensuring the inclusion of Native American philosophies. Historically, mainstream cataloging and classification systems have not adequately represented this knowledge. The Mashantucket Pequot Thesaurus of American Indian Terminology was designed to incorporate an Indigenous perspective into mainstream controlled vocabularies. Using story as pedagogy, this article examines the conceptual foundations, theoretical framework, and application of the Thesaurus to a museum setting.
48 citations
TL;DR: The authors found that more than a third of records retrieved by keyword searches would be lost without subject headings, and that the proportion of results that would be returned in a keyword search would be high.
Abstract: In their 2005 study, Gross and Taylor found that more than a third of records retrieved by keyword searches would be lost without subject headings. A review of the literature since then shows that numerous studies, in various disciplines, have found that a quarter to a third of records returned in a keyword search would be lost without controlled vocabulary. Other writers, though, have continued to suggest that controlled vocabulary be discontinued. Addressing criticisms of the Gross/Taylor study, this study replicates the search process in the same online catalog, but after the addition of automated enriched metadata such as tables of contents and summaries. The proportion of results that would be lost remains high.
48 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the history of cataloging at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History is mapped to understand how standards in object description involve assumptions that have resulted in a lack of Indigenous knowledge in museum records from this time.
Abstract: To inform debates about decolonizing museum records, this article maps the history of cataloging at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History. In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when material heritage was collected for museums from Indigenous peoples, the knowledge within those communities was often measured against Eurocentric biases that saw Indigenous knowledge as the object of material culture research, not a contribution to it. This article thus argues for a historical approach to understand how standards in object description involve assumptions that have resulted in a lack of Indigenous knowledge in museum records from this time.
41 citations
TL;DR: Deer et al. as discussed by the authors developed a classification system that better reflects an Indigenous worldview and the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs Resource Centre recently released a new revision of this system.
Abstract: It is a challenge to classify Indigenous knowledge using conventional library classification systems. An interconnected network of information and ideas needs to be classified in a way that adds structure, but also demonstrates relationships and offers some flexibility. Kahnawake librarian Brian Deer developed a classification system that better reflects an Indigenous worldview and the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs Resource Centre recently released a new revision of this system. Implementing this new system was a project that produced a model and tools, as well as inspiration that other institutions can use to move toward more culturally appropriate classification.
32 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors report on the ethics, processes, and procedures associated with the digitization of the manuscripts, works, and collected taonga (treasures) of the late Dr. Pei Te Hurinui Jones.
Abstract: The digital era has transformed how people live their lives and interact with the world and knowledge systems around them. In Aotearoa/New Zealand a range of initiatives incorporating Indigenous knowledge have been implemented to collect, catalog, maintain, and organize digital objects. In this article, we report on the ethics, processes, and procedures associated with the digitization of the manuscripts, works, and collected taonga (treasures) of the late Dr. Pei Te Hurinui Jones—and describe how it was transformed into a digital library. It discusses the decision-making processes and the various roles and responsibilities of the researchers, family members, and institute in this process.
23 citations
TL;DR: The authors discuss the history and context surrounding the document collection and statement gathering mandates of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, and the challenges the newly established National Research Centre for Truth and Reconstruction will face in applying the metadata set in the realization of its vision.
Abstract: This article will discuss the history and context surrounding the document collection and statement gathering mandates of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and the challenges the newly established National Research Centre for Truth and Reconciliation will face in applying the Commission's metadata set in the realization of its vision. By working respectfully with Indigenous people through the implementation of Indigenous knowledge best practices and the application of contrasting traditional/non-traditional, archival/user-generated, and institutional/Indigenous descriptive elements, the Centre will attempt to create a “living archive” and facilitate Indigenous participation, collaboration, and ultimately, the process of reconciliation.
22 citations
TL;DR: It is argued that the traditional conceptualization of bibliographic records affects the affordances and limitations of that data, and thus possibilities for innovation in cataloging are hampered.
Abstract: A bibliographic record is a conceptual whole that includes all bibliographic information about a resource together in one place. With the Semantic Web, individual data statements are linked across the web. This position article argues that the traditional conceptualization of bibliographic records affects the affordances and limitations of that data. A historical analysis of the development of bibliographic records contrasted with the Semantic Web model reveals how the “record” model shaped library cataloging and the implications on library catalogs today. Reification of the record model for bibliographic data hampers possibilities for innovation in cataloging, inspiring a reconceptualization of bibliographic description.
15 citations
TL;DR: The history of descriptive cataloging practices and MARC coding for video games and the special problems presented by Library of Congress subject heading and uniform title practice are described.
Abstract: Cataloging practices for video games have been in flux since the late 1970s, often lagging behind technological developments. This article describes the history of descriptive cataloging practices and MARC coding for video games. Also discussed are the special problems presented by Library of Congress subject heading and uniform title practice, which were developed for book cataloging rather than for the cataloging of video games themselves.
15 citations
TL;DR: The article analyzes the conceptual model of the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records as a general model of bibliographic data and description that can be interpreted, as needed, to serve the needs of various communities.
Abstract: The article analyzes the conceptual model of the Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records (FRBR) as a general model of bibliographic data and description that can be interpreted, as needed, to serve the needs of various communities. This is illustrated with descriptions of five different implementations based on the concepts in FRBR: FRBRER (entity-relation), FRBROO (object oriented), FRBRCore (FRBR entities as linked data), (FRBR entities within the commerce model), and FaBiO (FRBR indecs as a basis for academic document types). The author argues that variant models show the strength of the FRBR concepts, and should be encouraged.
15 citations
TL;DR: An overview of the process of adapting Brian Deer for Quebec-focused classification in a small Aboriginal library is given, detailing the research, planning, testing, and implementation of the project.
Abstract: This case study examines Aanischaaukamikw Cree Culture Institute, a Cree museum and resource center in the Ouje-Bougoumou, Quebec, and the institute's adaptation of the Brian Deer Classification System for use in their library. It gives an overview of the process of adapting Brian Deer for Quebec-focused classification in a small Aboriginal library, detailing the research, planning, testing, and implementation of the project. The value, merits, and disadvantages of adapting the Deer Classification System are addressed.
TL;DR: The quality of large catalogs is uneven and often low, but this issue is underrated and understudied and library catalogs may provide a trustworthy map of the publishing output, with full control of editions, works, authors, and so on and effective navigation functions, which are lacking in today's information-rich environment.
Abstract: The quality of large catalogs is uneven and often low, but this issue is underrated and understudied. Library catalogs often fail to communicate correct and clear information to users and their low quality is not simply due to faults, duplications, and so on but also to unwise cataloging standards and policies. While there is plenty of uncontrolled information about books and other publications, the need for good-quality bibliographic information is apparent and library catalogs may provide a trustworthy map of the publishing output, with full control of editions, works, authors, and so on and effective navigation functions, which are lacking in today's information-rich environment.
TL;DR: A rethinking of surrogate records that center the Indigenous experience in the cataloging process is proposed in this article, where the need to give voice to this unique collection both challenges and enriches traditional approaches to representing and organizing artifacts.
Abstract: This article reports on findings from qualitative research undertaken with a group of Aboriginal seniors in Toronto, Canada, to assess how a community-based collection of handcrafted objects could be used to evoke memories of maker culture (craft), as well as to foster meaning-making—all in the course of gathering elements requisite to representing each item in a documented surrogate. The article will discuss how the need to give voice to this unique collection both challenges and enriches traditional approaches to representing and organizing artifacts. A rethinking of surrogate records that center the Indigenous experience in the cataloging process is proposed.
TL;DR: It is argued that the development and application of Mâori subject headings is directly related to the natural order that is pivotal to a Māori worldview and explored in the context of the construction of Ngā Ūpoko Tukutuku.
Abstract: Cataloging and classification provide intellectual access for organizing resources in libraries. In New Zealand, bibliographic control is largely through the application of Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH). LCSH provide a sense of context and order. In Indigenous frameworks this sense of order can be found in the link between epistemology and knowledge structure. This article argues that the development and application of Māori subject headings is directly related to the natural order that is pivotal to a Māori worldview. The impact of this worldview and its associated values are explored in the context of the construction of Ngā Ūpoko Tukutuku.
TL;DR: The authors report on the development and automation of quality assurance procedures for locally loading electronic books (ebooks) on the Ontario Council of University Libraries’ Scholars Portal Platform and suggest that the challenges of ebook metadata are not met by MARC and a new metadata standard should be considered in the near future.
Abstract: This article explores the development and automation of quality assurance procedures for locally loading electronic books (ebooks) on the Ontario Council of University Libraries’ Scholars Portal Platform. The authors conducted a two-phase study of MARC record fields indexed on the platform to detect errors and implement workflow changes to the quality control process. The authors report on this process and the costs involved and suggest that the challenges of ebook metadata are not met by MARC and a new metadata standard should be considered in the near future.
TL;DR: The authors explain an automated process that is initiated by ProQuest and student (author) entered data, and through the addition of metadata by catalogers, including the subject headings, classification number, and so on.
Abstract: The purpose of this article is to describe the reasoning, methodology, and impact behind a semi-automated cataloging process for electronic theses and dissertations, and to explain the importance of the retention and addition of cataloger-created metadata. The authors explain an automated process that is initiated by ProQuest and student (author) entered data, and through the addition of metadata by catalogers, including the subject headings, classification number, and so on. The study includes a survey of the public service librarians’ perceived usefulness of the cataloger- and ProQuest-generated metadata to describe theses and dissertations.
TL;DR: This article examines shared cataloging practices in Nunavut, Canada, where Inuit form 85% of the general population and three official languages, including Inuit language (Inuktitut/Inuinnaqtun), English and French, are used in government and daily discourse.
Abstract: This article examines shared cataloging practices in Nunavut, Canada, where Inuit form 85% of the general population and three official languages, including Inuit language (Inuktitut/Inuinnaqtun), English and French, are used in government and daily discourse. The partners in the Nunavut Libraries Online consortium, together with the Nunavut Government translation bureau, have developed a common vocabulary for creating bibliographic records in Inuktitut, including syllabic script, and used this to create bibliographic cataloging standards, under the Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition, for creating multilingual and multiscript MARC-compliant, Integrated Library System-compatible records that accurately reflect the multilingual content of material published in and about Nunavut and Inuit.
TL;DR: This article will assess methods that have traditionally been applied to studies of catalog users and present the case for the potential of an ethnographic approach for future catalog evaluation and design.
Abstract: An increasing number of library user studies are employing ethnographic techniques as an alternative to more traditional qualitative methods such as surveys. Such techniques, however, are only beginning to see significant application to catalog user studies. Beginning with a discussion of the applied ethnographic method and its current usage within the field of Library and Information Science research, this article will assess methods that have traditionally been applied to studies of catalog users and present the case for the potential of an ethnographic approach for future catalog evaluation and design.
TL;DR: It is argued that catalogers can help prepare the way for the emerging information environment by reconciling cataloging practice with a linked data future.
Abstract: Linked data has dominated the recent discourse in cataloging and metadata. The daily work of the cataloger, however, remains mostly unchanged. This tension is investigated, with a view to reconciling cataloging practice with a linked data future. Aspects of linked data are outlined and a shift in focus in cataloging practice is recommended. Authorities, controlled access points, vocabularies, differentiated values, and local data should be emphasized, and focus should shift from free text fields, keystrokes, punctuation, and aspects of local practice. Through these recommendations, it is argued that catalogers can help prepare the way for the emerging information environment.
TL;DR: The results indicate that the parents experienced difficulties using the library catalog and that the current bibliographic elements are inadequate.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to determine how parents select picture books for their children and which bibliographic data are important as they choose between different versions of the same title. Thirty-six parents of preschool children aged one to six years were interviewed and observed as they chose one version of the picture book Cinderella from among six bibliographic records and then selected from among six physical versions. Parents described the criteria and the reasons for their selections. The results indicate that the parents experienced difficulties using the library catalog and that the current bibliographic elements are inadequate.
TL;DR: A controlled vocabulary based on a domain analysis involving a review of relevant literature and existing data structures is created for describing plot information of games to allow for useful search and collocation of video games.
Abstract: A video game's plot is one of its defining features, and prior research confirms the importance of plot metadata to users through persona analysis, interviews, and surveys. However, existing organizational systems, including library catalogs, game-related websites, and traditional plot classification systems, do not adequately describe the plot information of video games, in other words, what the game is really about. We attempt to address the issue by creating a controlled vocabulary based on a domain analysis involving a review of relevant literature and existing data structures. The controlled vocabulary is constructed in a pair structure for maximizing flexibility and extensibility. Adopting this controlled vocabulary for describing plot information of games will allow for useful search and collocation of video games.
TL;DR: In this paper, an effective work-instance model applicable to sound recordings of non-classical music, examines the shortcomings of the standard workinstance model, and offers new perspectives on the idea of the musical work by integrating the views of philosophers and musicologists, suggesting an interdisciplinary approach to the knowledge organization of musical works.
Abstract: The traditional work-instance model differentiates between the intellectual content of a work and the semantic content of its material instantiations. Most scholarship on musical works has concentrated on classical music within the Western canon, and little attention has been paid to other genres of music. This article explores what would constitute an effective work-instance model applicable to sound recordings of non-classical music, examines the shortcomings of the standard work-instance model, and offers new perspectives on the idea of the musical work by integrating the views of philosophers and musicologists, suggesting an interdisciplinary approach to the knowledge organization of musical works.
TL;DR: This article aims to present an overview of current changes, potential convergences, developments, and weak points from Ranganathan's point of view.
Abstract: Since the end of the last century, catalogs have been changing more and more quickly. This change is following a recognizable course, beginning with the publication of Functional Requirements for Bibliographic Records, passing through the reorganization of international cataloging principles, the revision of international standards of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (International Standard for Bibliographic Description), and the foundation of new cataloging codes, such as Resource Description and Access. While principles, models, and rules are well established, bibliographic formats seem to be a bottleneck and users seem far from libraries. This article aims to present an overview of current changes, potential convergences, developments, and weak points from Ranganathan's point of view.
TL;DR: Catalogers must participate more actively in the broader discussion and demonstration of library value undertaken by their colleagues, but to do so requires a framework and a common vocabulary shared by non-catalogers.
Abstract: Catalogers have a unique challenge to overcome in demonstrating the value of their services: the better they are at performing their work—making collections accessible and enabling user discovery—the more invisible their efforts are to users and administrators. Catalogers must participate more actively in the broader discussion and demonstration of library value undertaken by their colleagues, but to do so requires a framework and a common vocabulary shared by non-catalogers.
TL;DR: It may only be necessary to learn RDA in the future, when considering both Library of Congress-Program for Cooperative Cataloging (LC-PCC) and OCLC initiatives and an example from this author's institution relating to authority control in RDA and bibliographic record hybridization.
Abstract: The cataloging community is at a crossroads. Will catalogers need to continue learning both Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition (AACR2) and Resource Description and Access (RDA), or will learning RDA alone be enough? Through a selective literature review and examining the RDA Toolkit, it seems that there is currently a collective need to have access to both codes. However, when considering both Library of Congress-Program for Cooperative Cataloging (LC-PCC) and OCLC initiatives and an example from this author's institution relating to authority control in RDA and bibliographic record hybridization, it may only be necessary to learn RDA in the future. Additional research into practitioner experience could be done in the future to further examine this.
TL;DR: Two Indigenous frameworks were successfully applied to a significant collection of junior Māori language material at the University of Auckland, New Zealand, and their application for reclassification and record enhancement are described.
Abstract: Two Indigenous frameworks were successfully applied to a significant collection of junior Māori language material at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Ngā Kete Kōrero Framework is used to assign levels to readers designed for structured literacy development and formed the basis of a new classification system. Ngā Ūpoko Tukutuku is an Indigenous subject headings schema developed to empower and enrich records using Māori knowledge systems and terminology. Library staff worked collaboratively with Māori language literacy experts to transform access to the material. The Indigenous frameworks, their application for reclassification and record enhancement, and associated benefits of the project are described.
TL;DR: The authors investigates the evolving history of pre-Qin Chinese names that are not addressed or exemplified in the Library of Congress Romanization Table, and recommends a revision of that Table.
Abstract: Chinese language catalogers’ work is not only challenged by the revolution in cataloging standards and principles, but also by ancient Chinese names that emerged in archaeological discoveries and Chinese classic texts, which create a significant impact on bibliographic description and retrieval in terms of consistency and accuracy. This article takes an example of one ancient Chinese lady's name that is inconsistently romanized and described in OCLC to explore the reasons that cause the name variations and to propose an appropriate authorized access point after consulting both Western and Eastern scholarly practices. This article investigates the evolving history of pre-Qin Chinese names that are not addressed or exemplified in the Library of Congress Romanization Table, and recommends a revision of that Table.
TL;DR: The benefits of a Resource Description and Access (RDA) enrichment project for libraries benefit the patron experience because the data is cleaner and more consistent for patron use and display, cataloging staff workflows are simplified, and the consistency of theData is advantageous for system development and data exchange with other communities.
Abstract: This article examines the benefits of a Resource Description and Access (RDA) enrichment project for libraries. Enrichment projects “hybridize,” or enrich legacy Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules, Second Edition (AACR2) bibliographic records with RDA data. Until a replacement for MARC is developed, bibliographic data will continue to be encoded in MARC 21 in many integrated library systems. Library catalogs contain records coded under both AACR2 and RDA standards. RDA enrichment projects benefit the patron experience because the data is cleaner and more consistent for patron use and display, cataloging staff workflows are simplified, and the consistency of the data is advantageous for system development and data exchange with other communities.
TL;DR: This article investigates the betterment of maker metadata in (or alongside) library catalogs using existing content guidelines, encoding schemas, and data models to encourage the profession to coordinate access to maker metadata.
Abstract: Information about makers is critical to bibliographic research, and special collections cataloging norms provide maker metadata. Still, access to maker metadata is hampered in online library catalogs. This article investigates the betterment of maker metadata in (or alongside) library catalogs using existing content guidelines, encoding schemas, and data models. Discussion finds that libraries have appropriate tools for improving access to maker metadata. This article thus encourages the profession to coordinate access to maker metadata. Cooperative maker description and the merger and/or linking of datasets generated by the research community are suggested areas for future investigation.
TL;DR: A vision of the enterprise of cataloging and the role of catalogers and metadata librarians in the twenty-first century is shared and illustrative examples of innovative metadata creation and manipulation, such as non-MARC name authority records are presented.
Abstract: This article shares a vision of the enterprise of cataloging and the role of catalogers and metadata librarians in the twenty-first century. The revolutionary opportunities now presented by Semantic Web technologies liberate catalogers from their historically analog-based static world, re-conceptualize it, and transform it into a world of high dimensionality and fluidity. By presenting illustrative examples of innovative metadata creation and manipulation, such as non-MARC name authority records, we seek to contribute to the libraries’ mission with innovative projects that enable discovery, development, communication, learning, and creativity, and hold promise to exceed users’ expectations.